Buttons
by BalletGirl537
Summary: Have you ever wished for a different life? Have you ever wondered if there is a world seperate from our own? When one door closes, another opens. So be careful what you wish for, because all it takes is a little curiosity. Rating may go up
1. Prologue: Mechanical Lullaby

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic or Coraline**

In a tiny little workshop, coated with pink and floral wallpaper, and a dusty old window on the wall. The dusty old window that hung on the wall- its creaky frame opens with no sound, revealing the stars and a dark outland. The doll of a sweet little boy- floating ever so carefully- welcomes itself back after its long and fateful journey outside the workshop. Hands, opening as if to address a party, made of needles and steel, take the tiny little doll. The doll meets the table, and the hands open the small, flat box to begin its work.

"Tre lu, Tre lu, Tre lu la la la la la." Sung a voice. "Tre lu, tre lu, tre lu almenalmamama."

Tear the hair, rip the fur.

Change the doll all over.

Cotton out, inside out.

Sand goes in to fill it all out.

Thread the needle with the thread and sew the mouth with red.

Buttons, buttons, which shall be chosen?

Stitch in all the yellow fur and fluff it up with white.

'This one has two tails so I will sew the next one tight.'

Touch up here and fluff up there to finish up my work.

You're all done, to the next one, into the world you go,

Through the window,

Be eyes and watch the child as they hold you tight; tell when the coast is clear.

Just three children will do me no good.

I'll be waiting.


	2. Chapter 1: The Doll

**BalletGirl537: Hello readers! This story is a take on the book and movie 'Coraline' if y'all haven't noticed. Thought it isn't **_**exactly**_** like the movie or book, it has pretty much the same storyline- just not the details and stuff. I hope y'all like my newest scary fic!**__**Enjoy! :D**

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**Chapter 1: The Doll**

The rains that splashed down upon the zone were finally letting up. They had done their damage; ripping up the dirt and turning it into a viscous muck consisting of leaves and slugs. A stew that wasn't edible for any living creature but insects and vermin. Small little mushrooms grew up everywhere from such an event, and a particular ring of mushrooms was the point of interest for many young children. It wrapped itself around an old well, an old well that creaked in the wind and even rats were afraid to scamper across. A small house was erected in the midst of all of the muck and 'shrooms. It was small, messy and cramped, but comfortable none the less. It was colored in a brownish color, camouflaging with its surroundings when the morning fog rolled in.

Pushing through the morning fog, two figures uneven in height made their way to the door. They dragged their feet slowly and almost fell when their shoe sunk unexpectedly into a deeper pit of mud. They were sleep deprived, and one was quite cranky without his sleep. Who? Sonic the Hedgehog, of course. Accompanied by his little two-tailed fox friend Miles 'Tails' Prower. Both sleepy young boys stepped into the warm embrace of the cottage, blocking away the chill and wetness of the morning air. There was a door on the side of the house- it creaked open. Out of which came the young fox. As tired as he got, he was still never too enervated to explore. And so he hopped down the stairs, trotted down the muddy road with a _hop!_, skip! and a _jump_! to start up his energy. Chipper vibes coated the little fox from his whiskers to his toes.

Down the road he went, trotting through the mud, sliding here and there where the hills he went down got too steep. After a while of that, he reached his destination- an old well surrounded by mushrooms. He'd heard rumors of fairies coming to see you if a ring of mushrooms appeared by where you live. He also knew that the well was extraordinarily deep. Deep enough that if one fell down, they might feel the heat of the planet's core. Curious could describe little Miles, for without thinking he plucked one of the little orange mushrooms out of the ground and was examining it. The fur on his back raised for a moment- a bad feeling. Thunder rolled across the land with a loud _boom! _It rattled Tails' bones. Thunder, he was petrified of it. Along with that disquieting news of a second storm, he realized that the mushroom he was holding was poison, _also_ realized that the fleas and ticks came out in this kind of weather. CRASH! Lightning flashed behind him along with a roll of thunder. Like young friends pushing one another to go first, Tails rocked forward and made a mad dash for the house far up the hill he'd run down. Oh, how he wished that he hadn't came so far.

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The rain was bucketing down now. Harder than the last storm, and the lightning came at regular intervals. Tails stood at the window sill in the kitchen, watching with wide eyes as the terrifying, monstrous flashes of light silhouetted the wet land outside. Sonic however, sat at the round kitchen table, legs propped up, uninterested. He hated when Tails got like this, all anxious and whatnot, but it was sort of annoying. The little fox would run to him like he was being chased, and then watch the lightning like it was some amazing circus act.

"I almost got struck by lightning today Sonic." Tails said with a shaky voice.

"Uh huh." Sonic replied with a sigh as he aimlessly stared at the ceiling.

"I could've _died_!"

"Uh-huh." Was the only reply.

"Are you even listening to what happened Sonic?" Tails whirled around to face the blue one, quite offended that his best friend didn't care about his 'near death experience'.

"Tails, I need a nap, you need a nap- we've been doing a lot lately. Not to mention that I've become _immobile_ – according to the _doctor_."

"It wasn't my fault you ran into that truck!" Tails stomped his foot. Sonic had gestured to himself, referring to the neck brace that was wrapped around him. It was sort of Tails' fault, in that he had distracted Sonic (by accident), causing Sonic to stop in the middle of the road while an oncoming delivery truck was speeding down the way. Delivery trucks and (distracted) little blue hedgehogs don't mix.

"Well lucky for you I'm resilient!" Sonic smirked. Just then the doorbell rang. The blue one made a move to stand, but winced at the pang in his neck and back. Tails ran ahead eagerly with an 'I'll get it!'.

"Hello?" He answered the door. But no one was there. Just the rain and storm. The mud and gook that covered the ground. He looked down, there was a little blue box- no wrapping or tags to state a return address. But in big writing it read 'To Miles'. And so the little fox picked it up and trotted back inside, happy that he got a present before his birthday, and it wasn't Christmas either!

"Whatcha got there bud?" Sonic asked, having taken his spot at the table again, legs propped up on it.

"A gift I guess! It has my name on it." Tails pointed out the labeling with glee. He was too impatient to sit, so he proceeded in opening the blue box. Inside the box was a lump of newspaper. It appeared as though something had been wrapped in it. Carefully, the twine that bound the unknown item was pulled, and the gift revealed.

"A doll?!" Tails exclaimed in repulsion. It was a little doll that looked exactly like him; had two tails, cute little stubs for arms and legs, and a string protruded from its forehead, on the end of which a red jewel was stuck. Big, black buttons were stitched onto where normal eyes should be. It was amazing how good it looked, but seriously? A doll?!

"I didn't know you played with dolls!" Sonic held back his laughter as much as he could.

"I don't! I never play with dolls!" Tails pinched the little fox replica's paw and held it up, examining it.

"Any idea who gave it to you?"

"I…hmmm. I don't know. If it were anyone we know I'd of though them to put who it was from." Tails examined the doll some more as he thought, "I'll figure it out later." Dragging the doll behind him, Tails marched up the staircase with his nose held high. A doll, please, boys don't play with dolls.

"I don't play with dolls. But still, you are pretty cool little me." Tails walked into his room and tossed it carelessly onto the bed. Thunder rolled and lightning crashed once again, sending the terrified fox back down the staircase, longing for comfort.


	3. Chapter 2: Exploration

**BalletGirl537: In case y'all are wondering, the song used in this song (the gibberish in italics) is called 'Exploration' from the Coraline soundtrack. Enjoy! ^_^**

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**Chapter 2: Exploration**

Still bucketing down, the rain was blown in a diagonal direction from the wind. It pattered against the window and made the frame creak. The echo of a small television sounded throughout the cottage that was being tortured by storm. Tails marched down the hall in boredom. The blank walls reflected just how boring things got when he and Sonic were holed up because of a storm. Seeking entertainment, Tails found Sonic watching television in the front room. He approached him through the doorframe, leaning on the door.

"Hey Sonic, w-when are we gonna go and check out that well?" The fox asked to the silhouetted form on the dusty green couch. Without looking away from the TV screen,

"It…It's still bucketing out there isn't it?" Sonic said with a sigh.

"Well, y-yeah but-"

"And don't you _hate_ thunder?" Sonic interrupted. Tails sighed; he put his paws on the doorknob and, finding that the door creaked, swung back and forth. And, just as he suspected, Sonic didn't last long with the annoying noise; he sat up from the couch and faced Tails.

"Look, this place is pretty old!"

"And?"

"You never know what you can find in an old place! Go explore!"

"I've already looked through this place before, Sonic. So have you." Sonic dragged his paw down his face, taking a deep breath.

"Well, then," He found a piece of paper on the coffee table and a pen, "Count all the doors and windows, find everything that's blue, just, let me sleep!" Sonic slumped back onto the couch, exasperated. He heard Tails give a huff of frustration, and then hop off to do what he was told.

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The house was pretty old. Judging from the way it creaked when the wind blew, probably one hundred years old. Tails started in the kitchen with his exploration. He looked at the old floral wallpaper that stuck to the walls. He could imagine how it looked years ago; a polished table, and a happy tea going around with ladies in big fancy hats. Tails giggled at the thought. _One, two windows_ Tails counted and tallied it down on the little piece of paper. Off to the next room, this was a study. Or, at least it used to be. There was only one window, but in the corner of his eye, Tails spotted a nook in the wall. Upon closer inspection, it was cluttered with books and boxes. Curious as he was, Tails stuck his head in the nook, causing a domino effect of boxes and books to crumple down and spill out into the room. The dust got to the little fox, and he sneezed harshly. When he pulled his head out, he was sitting in front of a little music box. Small fingers turned the knob on the side of the box. It opened up on its own, revealing a little lady with button eyes spinning around. Sweet little music began to play, in which Tails remembered a nursery rhyme and ran the words through his head.

_Silly elen legi lefa ni len getly mamensintal_

Out of the dusty study he trotted, and through the next door. It was a boiler room, with water heater taking up most of it. There was a switch, and being the curious fox he was, he switched it down. The lights flickered. The television in the front room began to flicker on and off, until it went to snow and static. Tails cringed when he heard an annoyed groan echo down the hall. Thinking diligently, he ripped a piece of paper off of his list and wrote in big bold letters _DO NOT TOUCH_, licked it, and stuck it onto the switch. He sure wasn't going into that room again!

_antoua ga ten fe li gese lingue_

The little fox frolicked up the staircase; the blank walls seemed to get brighter just then. His exploration was actually pretty fun. Room after room he counted the windows and doors _one two three, twenty three, twenty four_. And attempted to find blue items. Upon reaching his room, he picked up the little look-alike doll and swung it in his left paw as he walked.

_Obi new le ande ni me so ba_

Upon reaching a bathroom, he looked inside. It had dusty rose wallpaper, something he never noticed before. And something else he never noticed before, cockroaches in the shower! Tails grimaced and shuddered in disgust. He was able to smash a few before they scurried away. And now the white gloves on the fox's paws were all dirty. Turning on the faucet in the shower, Tails held his paws out to wash them, but instead, dirty water came out of the shower above his head. He shook his head dry and stomped out, unhappy with that room.

_obi new le ande ni me so "dream"_

Even though the bathroom was gross from the storm water and bad plumbing, Tails was still in a good mood. He slid down the banister of the stair case, landing softly on a portion of pushed up carpet.

_twi ri tara didara twitwi taririra twitwi ra~_

The two-tailed fox passed by the front room, peering in at the bright television and the pitter patter of rain on the two windows. _One, two windows and ONE blue item!_ Tails wrote down, he giggled, Sonic wasn't exactly an _item_, but he was blue all the same.

_silly elen legi lefa ni len getly mamensintal antoua ga ten fe li gese limgue_

There was still one room left to explore. It was totally uninhabited- no furniture to sit on and no pictures to decorate the walls. Tails set the little look-alike in the doorframe and walked in.

_"We look somewhere" me li tachi lingue_

"One old window, nothing blue, and no more doors." He folded up the piece of paper in his right paw. The fox then reached down to pick up the doll again, but it was gone. The doll wasn't electronic as far as Tails knew, so it couldn't have walked or rolled anywhere.

"Alright little me, where are you hiding?" Tails spun around himself until the doll came into sight. There was a tiny white table across the room, and under it was the doll. He smiled and trotted over, moved the table so he could reach the doll.

"There you are! How'd you get…here?" From where the doll was sitting, Tails spotted the outline of a door. A tiny door at that, maybe it was an old laundry chute, but it was covered in wallpaper.

"Hey Sonic! What's this door for?!" Tails called down to Sonic. He listened, and after a delay, heard Sonic tackle the stairs and walk irritably into the room. The hedgehog glared in, shifted his weight to one side and put his paws on his hips.

"Will you stop pestering me if I do this?" He asked, gesturing to the little covered door. Tails clasped his paws together and put on the most adorable puppy face anyone has ever seen. But to Sonic it was inevitably normal. There was a gust of wind as Sonic sped down the stairs, rummaged through a drawer full of keys. Under the pile of them, he found an old wrought iron key with a key-head resembling a button. He put his bets in this one, and sped back upstairs. Stabbing the key through the wallpaper, Sonic dragged the key around the door frame to open it up. The wallpaper mad a sort of zipping sound as it dragged, and dust piled up on the floor. The door was opened, revealing nothing but bricks.

"But..it's all…bricked up." Tails gasped.

"The last people living hear must've closed it off before they left." Sonic shrugged, moving towards the doorframe.

"But, why?"

"WE made a deal!" Sonic made a motion in front of his mouth indicating '_zip-it!_' and left.

'Why would someone board up a tiny door like this?' Tails said to himself quietly. It probably wasn't important in any way. Some person probably just decided to close off the little door. Maybe it leads to nowhere? Or maybe it got infested by rats or spiders or something? The little fox huffed which turned into an extended sigh, closed the door, and slinked out. The little doll sat on the floor of the room.


	4. Chapter 3: Passage to Another World

**BalletGirl537: Aaaand chapter 3 is finally here! Thanks for being so patient everyone! And to Lovelydarkness: Ohhh thank you so much! It really means so much for you to enjoy my story that much! I really appreciate your review and it made my day all the more better! A thousand thanks my friend! :D**

**Enjoy**

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**Chapter 3: Passage to Another World**

Finally, after days of the treacherous waters, the rain and storms ceased. Ceased their reign on the lands, thrashing trees two and fro with their howling winds and stirring up the hard earth so it was just a stew of mud and carcass. Tails was much more at home now; he _was_ in his home after all. But when the storms rolled in, it was nothing more than a hermit crabs shell to hide from it all. It wasn't sanctuary, it wasn't a place to be held and comforted, warmed when it was cold.

It was amazing what a storm could do to a child.

The moon was rather large, coming close to being full. And since the clouds had hidden it for so long, the moon was large and gossamer. Its platoon of stars twinkled behind it with such radiance that it didn't even look like night was upon the land. And still, alone the house stood; in the forest, in the night, aged by the storm.

Tails paced back and forth in the blank room. The little door loomed in the background. It was perplexing; a little door in the middle of a house, and it was bricked up so that no one could get through.

"Why would someone brick up a whole in the wall?" Tails said aloud as he scratched his head. _And why not plaster?_ In modern times, it was definitely less hassle to just plaster up a wall and forget about it. Bricks being in the walls really showed how old it truly was, and how many secrets there were to be uncovered in it. There was so much about the house that Tails wanted to know now, what else was there in it, how old was it, and what made it so…clandestine?

It's amazing what can spark curiosity in a child.

The little fox, doll in hand, approached the window and gazed out at the stars. They twinkled in the sky, making the moon even more vibrant in comparison. He was snapped out of his thoughts when a voice called down the hallway,

"Tails, dinner's up!"

"Coming!" Tails responded back to Sonic. With one more glance out the window, he scurried out of the room and down the stairs. The savory smell of dinner made him absolutely starving.

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"Oh my twitchy witchy boy, I think you are so nice. I give you bowls of porridge and I give you bowls of ice cream!" Sonic fooled around as he ladled hot chili into Tails' bowl. The smell of dinner sure did make him hungry, but not exactly for chili, again. In fact, Tails really wasn't in the mood to eat anything Sonic had made. He _was_ kind of a jerk to him earlier. Perhaps he was still upset about the whole broken-neck-and-no-running-for-a-month fiasco. A wave of guilt passed over Tails for a split second.

"What's the matter sport? Aren't'cha gonna eat your chili?" Sonic asked after spooning a mouthful for himself.

"It looks more like slime than chili to me." Tails said, spooning up some and letting it fall back into the bowl, pulling a face. The chili was most likely the same that they had weeks ago; it had a funny smell to it.

"Well it's slime-time or bed-time buddy." Sonic uttered from his mouth full of stew. There was a tinge of bitter offense in his voice. The fox turned to his doll that sad beside him on an empty table,

"Think he's trying to _poison_ me?" He asked the doll; his hand made the doll's head nod. And that settled it. Tails leaned back in his chair.

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Giving out a sigh as his head hit the pillows, Tails crashed down onto his bed in his bedroom. He set the doll onto the chair beside the bed, making it face him. The plush blankets hugged around him, making it harder to stay awake and continue his normal before bed inspirations. The room was very dark though, making the house seem all the more vulnerable. But with the gigantic, looming moon shining through his window, Tails adjusted to the darkness much quicker.

"Goodnight little me." The fox said looking over at his doll that slouched on the wooden chair. Seeking comfort from the illuminated darkness, Tails turned on his old night-light that he had since he was very young. Four years of age was the time he truly needed it, especially when he grew more confident with himself after he met Sonic. But, every now and then, Tails would turn it on. Perhaps just to walk down memory lane or he really needed it, he didn't know why. But a beautiful nightlight it was with its star and moon shapes cut out on the shade, it spun round and round at a snail's pace, creating a dream-like atmosphere with its shade illuminating the room a purpleish- blue color.

The nightlight made the room appear a dream, but dreams are dangerous.

Late into the night, Tails was only still dosing as his mind was at work creating blue-prints and running through binary code. It was peaceful then, just the nightlight drawing imaginary constellations, creating little machines in his head, no storms. _Squeak sqrack!_

Tails sat up at the noise. The door was still closed, the doll on the chair, the window locked shut. But there were still tiny noises. _Squeak sqrack!_ It sounded again. There appeared to be a congregation of the noises…under his bed.

Every child's nightmare: noises under his bed.

Out it scurried from the wooden bed frame, a mouse. It squeaked and chirped loudly as it slipped through the door. Being curious as he was, Tails slipped a blanket around his shoulders and ran out after it. The hallway was dark, but the mouse was white; it was waiting for him at the top of the stairs. Down, down, down the little fox hopped after the mouse. The little thing was quite fast for a mouse. The tiny creature led him to the blank room with the 'disappointing door'. As Tails rounded the corner, he saw the mouse squeezing itself through a crack in the small door. _I've gotcha now!_

Sliding to his knees on the wood flooring, Tails yanked open the bricked up door. But what he saw… was a whole other story. A tunnel was extending itself to points unknown, scratch that, to another…door? A gust of wind ruffled the fur on the fox's muzzle. With a look over his shoulder, Tails continued through the little passage; he crawled ever so cautiously.

The tunnel was breathtaking.

Illuminated in vibrant shades of teals, blues, purples and pinks; the colors seemed to move too, almost as if the tunnel itself were breathing. The walls of the tunnel were soft like pillows, almost as if he were crawling on clouds. But this didn't last long. The moment of truth came- the door on the other end was at his face. Tails took a deep breath and pushed the little door with his fingertips. Crawling like a newborn pup, Tails took thought in every pad of his feet and hands into the room as if each might be his last. But, once to his feet, he realized something.

"Huh?" Tails stepped back in astonishment… The room was exactly the same.


End file.
